News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-06-16
FROM WASHINGTON.
from our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c.,
June 9, 1887.

June Ss 1901
The average Washingtonian has
every facility for becoming an expert
cicerone as well as chaperon; and
oftentimes causes the regularly estab-
lished professional guide to turn green
with envy as he hears the amateur
glibly rattle off the various attrac-
tons and points of interest in store
for his eager listeners, in the Capital
of the nation.
The hospitality of the citizen is of
ten put to the test in this city, and
generally, think the pleasant labors
of the host are very creditably per-
formed.
Great was the perplexity of friend
of mine a day or two ago, when ap-
preaching Greenough's admirable con-
cetion in marble of George Washing
ington as the Roman patrician enthu-
siastically describing this great mas
terpiece of art, ne observed a singu-
lar and entirely new expression on
the features of the Father of his Coun-
try; coming nearer, he and his CON-
panions were greatly shocked, and
considerably amused at the same time,
at discovering that some Vandal had
penciled the pupils of the eyes, and
that their glance had been purposely
turned inward, giving ludlcrously
cross-eyed effect to the object of the
peoples generation. This disposition
of recklessness in disfguring and mu-
tilating objects of public interest, out
of motives of pure mischief, together
with the selfish greed of the relic hunt
err by strangers visiting here, caused
the closing of the Washington monu-
ment, to the great disappointment of
the throngs who were here during the
week of the national drill.
An event of interest to the medical
fraternity of the country is the meet |
ing here of the annual convention of
the Association of American Physi-
clans, including in its membership rep
resentative men from the whole coun-
try.
An indication of radical change is
shown in the disallowance by the Sec
ond Comptroller of the Treasury of
that portion of the accounts of the
Superintendent of the Naval Academy
which relates to whiskey, brandy, etc.
furnished for the use of the annual
board of visitors to that institution.
The plans, specifications and forms
of proposals and contracts for naval
vessels advertised for, have been made
public, and do not know of another
question, unless it be that of the sur
plus in the national treasury, that has
taken such hold upon the public
mind as the contemplated reconstruc-
ton of our navy. A former Secreta-
ny of the navy, who was an enthusiast
tic forwarder of this measure, also
William Z. Chandler-seems to be
destined for the Senate, he having
distanced all competitors in the race.
Boynton of the Cincinnati CONNER
ciaL Gazette, and Shaw, of the Boston
Transcript, are now the veterans of
Newspaper Row, since the demise of
Maj. Ben. Perley Poore.
Booksellers in the vicinity of the
Departments noticed a decided in
crease in their sales of school books,
and especially the second hand desks,
owing to the first scare of the clerks
on the PRONUNCIATION of the new civil
service rules for promotion in the De-
paltments but later the decrease in |
this demand shows that the panic is
over, and that the more reasonable
view of the new order of things pre-
walls.
The faithful, efficient clerk has not
had the time, nor tie inclination to
discuss and weigh the effects of the
rule, as applied to his or her own case,
and is either totally unconce-ned, or
feels secure on account of an inward
consciousness of usefulness and worth.
There is one very perceptible good
that has been effected by the reform
in the civil service, and that is the in
creased punctuality. In a depart
ment consisting of fifteen hundred
clerks, where formerly two hundred
were noted as being customarily tar
dy now five or six only have to be
reported as coming late, and none are
permitted to leave before four o'clock,
either, thus gaining perhaps an hour
each day for the government, on quite
a large percentage of the clerks.